


Camping

by littlemiss_m



Series: HOME, a series [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternative Universe - No Daemons, Alternative Universe - No prophecy, Camping, Clarus Amicitia is a good dad, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 21:25:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13749543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemiss_m/pseuds/littlemiss_m
Summary: Prompto gets invited to the Annual Amicitia Camping Extragavanza. (Cor's words, not his.)





	Camping

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place towards the end of Prompto and Noctis' first summer holiday from high school.

”Cannonball!”

Prompto grins and snaps a picture of the moment Noctis hits the pool, splashing water over Gladio and Iris, who are already in the water. Ignis rolls his eyes from one of the sun loungers but doesn't comment. Prompto's sitting on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in cool water, and the others know better than to splash him when he's holding the camera.

”That one was really good!” he calls out when Noctis resurfaces, black hair plastered on his face. It's a hilarious sight so Prompto zooms in for a picture. ”Come on, Gladdy, it's your turn!”

The midsummer sun is hot on his shoulders but he doesn't care, too happy to be able to enjoy the day with his friends. The others have the entire weekend free and even Clarus is set to return soon; Gladio and Ignis already pulled out some meats for the grill. They're going to have a small BBQ party, the first Prompto has ever been to – or the first one he remembers, at least – and he's so happy he could cry.

Gladio, instead of heading for the diving board, swims over and bats water-clogged eyelashes at Prompto. It's Prompto's turn to roll his eyes but the snaps the picture obediently, tapping his finger in a steady rhythm while Gladio poses and flexes in the pool. A moment later, Iris appears in his viewfinder and throws her arms around Gladio, grinning. Prompto smiles and pulls back to check the picture. It's a winner.

”You should come swim too!” Iris chirps, good-natured. Gladio dunks her under the surface.

”What, and ruin his hair?” he scoffs playfully when she surfaces. ”Trust me, you don't wanna know what a soaked chocobo looks like, squirt, it ain't a pretty sight.”

He leers at Prompto who can't resist poking out his tongue. He's thankful, though, and a little embarrassed. He doesn't like how flabby his skin is under his arms, or the stretchmarks that are still several shades darker than the rest of his skin. The guys think he's just shy because of the weight loss thing, but he's also got several old scars he doesn't want to explain and an ugly yellow-purple bruise on his back.

Prompto is pretty sure the others have guessed already, but if they have, they haven't said anything about it, nothing past the generic offers of listening ears and good shoulders to cry on.

Clarus shows up then, shouting a greeting from the patio door before wandering over. He's dressed in shorts and a golf shirt like the average suburban dad, and his flip-flops are bright pink. Prompto snaps a picture.

”You kids ready for food?” Clarus asks as soon as he's close enough. They all nod, Noct and Iris cheering loudly. ”I'll get the grill fired up then.”

”I want a burger!” Iris cries out immediately. ”All the burgers!”

”Burgers, burgers, burgers,” Noctis begins to chant. Iris joins him and they link their arms, bobbing side-by-side in the pool. Prompto snaps one last picture before getting up to help Ignis and Clarus with the food. His feet leave wet prints on the stone paving and by the time he emerges from the kitchen, a tray of burger fillings in hands, the marks have already dried under the sun.

Clarus pats his back when he lays the tray next to the grill, almost tipping him over. Prompto grins at the man and shoots fingerguns in his direction before dashing back inside. Ignis, who is making his way through the door with most of the meats, chuckles at his expression but doesn't say anything.

* * *

It takes some time for the food to cook but soon everyone is eating, happily munching on their burgers and hot dogs. Clarus has some steaks, chickatrice kabobs, and foil-wrapped potatoes roasting on the grill, too, but they're going to take a bit longer to cook. Prompto spoons spicy pineapple salsa over his hot dog and wonders if they're really supposed to be able to finish everything.

”Oh, yeah, I almost forgot,” Clarus speaks up suddenly. He flips the last kabob over and turns to face them. ”The vacation request finally went through.”

Prompto blinks even as both Gladio and Iris cheer. ”So when's the trip?” Gladio asks, clearly excited. Next to him, Noctis makes a face.

”In three weeks,” Clarus replies, grinning. ”And guess what – Reggie and I were able to shuffle things around a bit so we can actually spend _two whole weeks_ camping!”

”Ooh, you're going _camping_ ,” Prompto says while another round of cheers rings in the air. He takes a swig of his fizzy lemonade and nods. ”That sounds cool.”

”You should shut up while you can,” Noctis hisses in his ear. Prompto notices that Ignis doesn't follow through with his usual admonishments. ”Seriously, dude, I love you, but you gotta shut up.”

Prompto looks at his best friend, more than a little confused, but he already has three excited Amicitias all vying for his attention, so he can't focus on Noctis for much longer.

”Do you like camping, Prompto?” Iris asks. She's leaning against the table and Prompto thinks she looks like happy puppy; all that is missing is the wagging tail.

”Well, uh, I've never been...” He answers, shrugging. ”I just thought it sounds cool. Where are you going?”

”Haven't really decided yet, and all our plans are for a week-long vacation anyways,” Gladio answers. He's looking at Prompto with a calculating expression. ”Hey, do you want to tag along?”

Prompto is so taken back by the question that he almost drops his drink. Noctis whispers something that sounds suspiciously like 'abort mission, abort mission' in his ear, so Prompto shoves him off with his elbow. ”Nah, I'm good,” he says, grinning. ”Besides, isn't it like a family thing? Cause it sounds like a family thing and I wouldn't want to intrude anyways.”

”It's only a family thing cause no-one else is insane enough to go with them,” Noctis spits out. Ignis still doesn't say anything. ”Can I have another burger? Please?”

”Sure. Anyone else?” Clarus reaches for Noct's plate and smiles at Prompto when he shyly holds out his own. ”Seriously though, it's fine if you want come with us, Prompto. Noctis and Ignis have camped with us in the past, heck, even Reggie and Cor liked to tag along once or twice. It's always nice to have more people with us.”

Noctis looks like he's remembering an extremely vivid nightmare and Ignis still won't meet anyone's eyes. Prompto, enthralled by the possibility of getting out of Insomnia and the promise of new things to photograph, ignores them both. He glances at the three Amicitias, all of them smiling at him, and feels welcome. Gladio even nods at him when their gazes meet, encouraging him.

”Would it – would it really be okay?” Prompto asks, suddenly embarrassed under all the attention. ”I mean, I don't have a permit to leave the city and I've never been camping before so I'd probably just slow you down–”

”We can teach you!” Iris chirps. ”Pleaaaaaase, Prompto, please come with us! It's so fun!”

”Yeah, Blondie, listen to the kid,” Gladio joins in. He's grinning so wide his face is all smiles. ”Come on, Prom, it'll be great. Think of all the photographing opportunities!”

Prompto is thinking about photographing, the forests and the plains and the wilderness, the animals and the plantlife. It sounds like a dream come true, and he figures that even if the camping trip includes hiking somewhere, well, he's got good stamina from all the running he does so it shouldn't bee too bad. He's beginning to feel hopeful and warm inside, and the Amicitias are still smiling at him.

”Is it really okay?” he asks, looking at Clarus. He nods and Prompto's smile blooms wide. ”Okay, I'll do it!”

* * *

It's about a week later that he runs into Cor in the Citadel. He's on his way to the training facilities to watch Gladio kick Noct's ass around the arena but the sound of someone calling his name stops him in his tracks. Prompto recognizes Cor's voice without turning around and grins as soon as he sees the man. They'd started to rekindle their relationship a couple months before the attempted kidnapping, but after the mess, they've only continued to grow tentatively closer.

It's just about the only good thing to come out of it.

”Cor!” Prompto greets the other man. ”Hi! I was gonna watch Gladio and Noct spar.”

Cor nods and they begin walking. The first pair of guards they meet give them a wide berth. ”I assumed as much,” he says. ”I hear you're going to join the Annual Amicitia Camping Extragavanza.”

He actually uses those words. The Annual Amicitia Camping Extragavanza. Prompto stops still in his tracks and stares at Cor, speechless. The man looks uncomfortable. ”What? Oh, yeah, the camping trip. Yeah, they asked me to.” He pauses, self-conscious again. ”Should I – should I not go?”

Cor shakes his head and pulls him to an empty training room. ”No, you go if you want to, that's fine,” he says. ”There's something I want to talk to you about, though.”

”Okay...” Prompto draws out. ”What is it?”

Cor sighs. Prompto thinks he looks like he's about to say something he doesn't actually want to say. ”Right. There are a lot of dangerous beasts out there,” he says. ”I think it would be best to train you in–”

”No,” Prompto cuts in. He knows what Cor is about to say and the mere thought makes his head swim. ”Nope, not gonna happen.”

It's not the first time he's been offered this. After the shooting and the attempted kidnapping a few months earlier, he'd received several invitations to all kinds of training classes. In the end, he only accepted the most basic self-defense classes, and even then, his trainer had to modify the lessons to stop him from freaking out every time he was supposed to hit someone.

”I assumed you'd say that.” Cor leans against a wall. ”I'm not going to force you into anything, but the offer is there, if you want it. Clarus is good at keeping from dangeous situations so I doubt you'd need to be armed either way. It's just a suggestion.”

Up till now, Prompto's been nothing but excited over the camping trip. Now, he's beginning to doubt himself again. ”Is it... bad, if I'm not – if I can't defend myself? From – from the beasts?” he asks, unable to look Cor in the eye.

”Shit, kid, I really didn't mean it like that,” Cor curses. ”You're fine as you are. The chances of you managing to get into trouble under Clarus' watch is about as close to zero as can be. I had to offer, though, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry for upsetting you.”

Prompto shakes his head. ”It's okay,” he murmurs. Cor's lips quirk at the corners and he taps Prompto's shoulder, guiding him back to the hallway. They walk into the great training hall together and Prompto laughs as soon as he sees that Noctis is already flat on his back, Gladio towering above him with a massive sword hooked over one shoulder. He nods at some of the people in the hall and gets settled on the bleachers, camera already out.

* * *

They leave Insomnia early on a Saturday morning, all four of them piled into a SUV pulled out from the manor's massive garage. The traffic is slow at the Wall, every car stopped and checked for permits and passports, but as soon as they pass the tunnel Clarus revs the engine and speeds up. The first rays of the morning sun are just breaking out behind the horizon and Prompto whoops in joy.

He doesn't actually know where they're headed. Clarus and Gladio planned the hiking route between the two of them and if Iris has any idea, she won't say it. She looks giddy and keeps on glancing at Prompto, but he can't tell if she's just happy or scheming.

Some hours after leaving Insomnia, they pass a sign that reads _Wiz' Chocobo Pos_ t. Prompto makes a sound in his throat that's a cross between a snort and a keen, and then he realizes they're headed in the direction pointed out by the arrow on the road sign. Iris grins at him and when he looks up at the rearview mirror, he sees that Clarus is watching him.

”Oh my gods,” Prompto gasps. ”Oh my gods oh my gods oh my gods!”

Gladio's laughter booms inside the car but Prompto doesn't care. He can see a ranch down the road, and a moment later they're close enough that he can make out several yellow spots running around in a fenced area. He can barely stay in his seat, camera ready in sweating hands, and as soon as the car slows down to a full stop, he's out of the door in a flash. There aren't any other people around that he can see, only a young woman feeding chocobos by a building Prompto assumes is their stable. He can hear chocobos chirping and kwehing and screeching at each other.

He's in heaven.

”Alright, I'm going to find the owner,” Clarus says as after slamming the car door shut. ”Don't go too far, you three.”

Iris is already running towards the main building, Gladio following behind. There's a bathroom sign near the door but Prompto isn't interested, doesn't really need to go that badly. Instead, he wanders over to the nearest pen where half a dozen birds are grazing. He snaps a few pictures of the animals but stops pretty soon, too awed to do much else but stare. The chocobos are beautiful, their feathers a healthy yellow, and Prompto knows he's in love.

Soon, one of the birds looks up at him and makes her way over. Prompto's heart is beating wildly in his chest and he leans against the wooden fence, waiting. He doesn't have anything to feed the chocobo but she comes over nevertheless, walking all the way up to the fence. She doesn't resist when Prompto touches her back, feels the fluff of her feathers, then reaches over with his other hand until he's hugging her. She rests her neck against his chest and tries to preen his hair, which is thankfully free of products. He's crying before he knows it.

Sometime later, he hears footsteps approaching but doesn't let go of the chocobo. ”Hey, kid, everything okay?” a voice asks. Prompto nods, forces himself to take a step back so he can face the person. The chocobo stays where she is and continues to pick at his hair.

”Yeah, sorry,” Prompto mumbles, wiping at his eyes. The man he's talking to is tall and stout, dressed in a vest. ”I just – uh, I just really like chocobos. This is my first time seeing one live.”

The man laughs, but the laughter is kind and good-natured. He steps closer and offers his hand. ”Wiz Forlane, the owner.”

Prompto shakes his hand and tries to grin past the remnants of his tears. ”Prompto,” he introduces himself. ”Sorry, I got a little too emotional, huh.”

Wiz smiles at him and then turns to gaze at the birds. ”It's fine, kid.” He nods towards the chocobo still trying to cuddle with Prompto. ”Looks like Rose really likes you. You looking to hire a ride, or...?”

Prompto grins at the name, almost laughs out loud. ”I sure hope so,” he answers, shrugging. It might be that they're just making a base out of the chocobo post, and even if that's the case, Prompto is already beyond satisfied. He leans closer to Rose and continues petting her neck. ”I'm going camping with my friend and his family. We just stopped and I don't know where we're going from here.”

Wiz nods and jumps over the fence, crooking a finger in Prompto's direction. ”Get in the pen, kid, I'll snap some shots for you.”

Prompto is almost too shocked to comply, but he manages to disentangle himself from Rose and climb the fence without falling down. The inside of the pen is grass, a little muddied at some points, but he's wearing a new pair of hiking boots Gladio bought for him. As soon as he's in the pen, Rose presses against his side, kwehing softly and Prompto can't help laughing. He hands the camera over to Wiz, shows him how to use it, and then he's posing with Rose. A couple other chocobos approach them slowly, but while a few of them traipse close to Prompto, they lose their interest as soon as they realize he doesn't have any goodies. Prompto doesn't mind; he's already happy enough as is.

By the time Gladio returns from the main building, Prompto has moved to sit on the inside of the fence, Rose between his legs and cuddled close to his chest. He's talking with Wiz about chocobos, what else, and Gladio laughs at him. He has a bag of gysahl greens in one hand.

”Hey, Wiz, Blondie.” He leans against the fence and rattles the bag. Rose only glances at him but a second bird comes over in a flash. ”Looks like _you_ won't be needing these at all.”

”I'm a chocobo whisperer,” Prompto says.

”Yeah, no kidding.” Gladio opens the bag and pulls out a handful of greens, which he holds out for the second chocobo. ”Here you go, girl.”

Prompto blinks and glances at Wiz, who just looks at him. ”Gladio,” he says carefully, ”that one is a male.”

It's Gladio's turn to pause. He looks at Prompto, then shrugs and bends at the waist to glance between the bird's legs. Prompto almost falls off the fence. ”Seriously?” he squeaks. ”Gladio!”

”What?” Gladio asks. ”How do you even know what gender he is? They all look the same to me.”

Prompto hides his face in Rose's neck and laughs. ”Oh my gods, Gladio,” he giggles, wiping water from his eyes. ”Oh my gods. Have you ever seen a bird fly in the sky with its junk hanging out, flapping like a third wing?”

He mimics a flapping motion with his right hand, fingers pointed down, and Wiz begins cackling. Gladio is bright red in the face. ”It's not like I need to know shit about how birds mate!” he sputters. Prompto laughs so hard his stomach hurts.

”Okay, okay,” he eventually says, trying to calm down. ”Okay. Look, this one's a girl. The male has a darker beak and legs, see? Also, the crest of feathers on his head is a lot bigger. And, uh, the males are usually a bit bigger than the females, too.”

To his left, Wiz nods his head, smiling softly. ”That's about it,” he agrees. ”There are some differences in their behavior as well, especially during mating season – oh, Clarus. Been a while, huh?”

”Sure has,” Clarus agrees. He strolls up to the fence and raises an eyebrow at Gladio's red face. Prompto giggles against Rose's neck and wishes the moment would never end.

* * *

Back in Insomnia, Noctis' phone dings with a new message. He pulls it up and almost chokes on his lunch.

 **Gladio (12:05 p.m.):** prompto's a bird sex enthusiast  
**Noctis (12:05 p.m.):** what the fuck  
**Prompto (12:06 p.m.)** : gladio thinks birds fly with their junk out and flapping about  
**Noctis (12:06 p.m.):** WHAT THE FUCK  
**Gladio (12:07 p.m.):** oh looks like we're leaving, signing out  
**Prompto (12:07 p.m.):** bye!!!!  
**Noctis (12:08 p.m.):** guys?????????

Several floors away, Ignis sighs like the world around him was falling and goes back to browsing books in the great library.

* * *

On the third night of their trip, Clarus wakes up to Prompto leaving their tent. They've set camp at an old haven resting at the foot of a mountain, and unlike the forest from the previous night, the place is almost completely silent. Clarus can hear the swish of wind on tall grass, Iris' soft snores from the other tent, but nothing else. Next to him, Gladio is awake as well.

”You should go talk to him,” Gladio murmurs quietly. Clarus nods but doesn't get up.

”I'll give him a moment,” he says. ”Might be he just needs to use the toilet.”

Gladio hums something incoherent and rolls over, already asleep. Clarus huffs a quiet laugh and waits, counting minutes. He's fairly sure it's not any bodily need that has Prompto out of bed at such an hour, and fifteen minutes later, he unzips the tent and crawls out. The night air is cool on his skin but the moon is bright against the sky, so he doesn't need a flashlight to see where Prompto has gone. Grabbing a blanket from one of the chairs left around, he slowly makes his way to where the boy is sitting on the ledge.

The haven marks a spot where a grass-covered plain turns into a mountainous landscape in a series of staircase-like steps. They're camping on the bottom-most step, the ledge almost like an island rising out of a sea of grass. Across the plain, a forest stands tall and dark.

”Hey, kid,” Clarus murmurs when he sees Prompto's head turn in his direction. He sits on the ledge and lets his feet dangle over brownish-green grass that's almost tall enough to tickle his toes. He puts an arm around Prompto's shoulders and wraps them both under the blanket. ”Something wrong?”

There's always something wrong with him, but he never says a thing. ”Couldn't sleep,” Prompto speaks after a moment, probably not a lie but not the full truth either. ”Thought I'd get some fresh air or something.”

Clarus doesn't say anything. They sit like that for a while, wrapped under a blanket in the darkness of total wilderness, only the moon and the stars lighting the world around them. There's a topic Clarus wants to breach but he worries that the time isn't right, that Prompto will just withdraw further away from him, but the boy seems comfortable under his arm and that's enough encouragement for now.

”Is everything okay at home?” he asks. It's something they've all been worried about ever since Prompto made his reappearance as Noctis' best friend, but it's also something they know very little about. John Argentum is away from home three weeks a month but he pays his bills and feeds his child, and there's little else Clarus can look at without breaking laws.

Prompto sighs but doesn't pull away. ”We just don't get along,” he says, tone sour and frustrated. ”We disagree on pretty much everything and yeah, it sucks, but that's all. I already told Cor as much and I really don't get what everyone's freaking out over.”

The earlier evasion turns into a fullblown defense and Clarus has to hold back his sigh. The first time they looked at Prompto's home situation, they thought the boy was lonely, maybe a little neglected; at some point, first Noctis and then the others began to suspect something worse. Clarus knows that whatever the truth, Prompto isn't ready, and that pushing at this point will only result in further grief. Just as he's about to back down, a movement far across the plain catches his eye and he gasps in surprise.

”Look!” He points his finger towards the edge of the forest, where a dark shadow slinks in and out of the woods. ”It's a coeurl – no, three of them, an entire pack out hunting. Can you see them?”

A tense moment and Prompto nods, an excited sound bubbling from his lips. ”I can't believe it,” he whispers, ”real coeurls! Is it – is it safe to be here, though? They're kind of close.”

Clarus watches the coeurls follow the tree line, then shakes his head. ”I think they're headed for the herd of anaks we saw earlier today,” he says. ”Remember, by the river we crossed?”

”Yeah,” Prompto acquiesces, though he doesn't sound entirely sure.

”Coeurls are predators but they rarely bother humans unless their territory is threatened,” Clarus explains. Across the plains, a fourth shadow joins the pack. ”They have no reason to bother us as long as we leave them be, especially as there's an entire herd of prey nearby. We can stoke the fire, though, if you're not feeling safe.”

Prompto gazes across the plain silently, eyes full of wonder as he watches the big cats move. ”I've never seen anything like this before,” he whispers, transfixed. ”It's so...”

He never finishes his sentence, but he doesn't really have to. Clarus smiles and tousles his hair. ”It is,” he agrees. It's time they went back to bed, but there's one more thing he wants to say before they retreat from the ledge. ”Listen, Prompto. If you ever need any help with anything, you have my phone number. I'm there for you. Cor and the boys as well. If you ever have any troubles, you don't need to face them on your own.”

Prompto pulls away and stands up, shaking the blanket from his shoulders. Even in the darkness of the night, Clarus can see that there's an embarrassed blush on his face. His eyes are downcast but he extends his hand to help Clarus stand up. ”I don't need help,” he murmurs. Clarus hugs him to his side and walks him back to the tent.

* * *

The two weeks come to a close and they return to the chocobo post. Prompto is tired, his body aching from two weeks of riding and walking, but it's an amazing kind of a tiredness, one that does nothing to wipe the smile from his face. He's a little sad when he sees the stables, knows that it's almost time to say goodbye to Rose, but he's happy he was invited and even happier that he accepted the invite.

A staff member – the woman Prompto remembers from their previous stop – takes the chocobos from them and leads them to the stables. Prompto watches her go and sighs forlornly but a moment later Clarus is ushering them towards the main building and the restaurant. Wiz greets them from behind the bar with a wide grin and Prompto returns it with one of his own.

”Welcome back!” Wiz says. ”I take it everything went well?”

”That's right,” Clarus agrees. ”One of your workers took the chocobos to the stables. We'd like some dinner before we leave.”

”Sure thing. What am I cooking?”

They all order their meals and Prompto excuses himself to use the bathroom while they wait for the food. When he returns, instead of sitting at the table, he wanders over to a wall covered in photographs. They're all portraits of old customers, he soon understands, children and adults alike posing with chocobos of varying ages and sizes. He lets his gaze drift from picture to picture, taking in the smiles and occasional tears, but soon one particular photographs steals the breath from his lungs.

”Everything okay, Prom?” Gladio asks. Prompto, still stunned, turns to face him.

”Yeah,” he says, voice hoarse. ”It's um. It's my mom. She's on the wall.”

A young, blonde woman smiles at the camera as wind blows at her hair. It's almost the same lenght as Prompto's mess of a cut but much neater, a clean bob that frames her freckled face. Prompto knows they're not actually blood relatives but even her eyes are the same blue as his and they actually look like a mother and a son, unlike him and his father who only share their build. In the picture, she's holding a little toddler with a happy smile, his eyes focused on something – someone – behind the camera. He knows who.

”This one?”

Prompto startles at Gladio's appearance but nods anyways. It's not hard to find the picture of two blondes on a wall of brown and black hair; they stand out as much as they do in Insomnia. Prompto swallows, tries not to cry. He has forgotten her smile, can't remember her face. If there are any pictures left of her, he doesn't know where they are.

”She's pretty,” Gladio murmurs. His arm is a comfortable weight around Prompto.

”She was.”

In the kitchen, Wiz clears his throat. ”See someone you recognize, do you?” he asks, as if it's not obvious that Prompto's three seconds away from a breakdown. The chocobo post makes him cry a lot, it seems. ”If you want to, you can take the picture with you. I've got a hundred new ones I should put up somewhere but I'm a sentimental old fool who can't get rid of the old ones, so I'm at a bit of a standstill with the issue. Just take the frame off the wall and pull out the photo, I won't mind.”

Prompto does as told. The picture is old and the center several shades lighter than the edges. He knows he's going to treasure the photograph until his last breath.

He sits at the table, eats his meal. Afterwards, when they're leaving, Wiz pulls him aside for a moment. ”So, kid, I understand you're really interested in chocobos, yeah?” he asks and Prompto can only nod. ”The thing is, I usually have to hire a couple extra hands for the summer holidays and the mating season. I was thinking, if you're interested, I could maybe offer you a summer job here. You seem like a good kid and we could always do with people who actually like working with the animals.”

Prompto is, once again, rendered almost speechless. ”I'll be sixteen in October,” he says. According to Lucian law, children under sixteen can't work beyond things like babysitting or walking dogs, the latter of which Prompto has plenty of experience in. ”But, um, if you're serious–”

”I am, kid.” Wiz pulls a card out of his pocket and hands it to Prompto. ”If you want the job, give me a call sometime during January. We usually try to get the hiring process done by the end of February, so after that it's gonna be too late.”

Prompto grins and holds onto the card like it's a precious treasure from ancient times. ”I'll think about it!” he says, even though there's exactly one thing that makes him consider not taking the job: spending the entire summer separated from Noctis and the others. Everything else works in his favor. ”Thank you so much, sir!”

Wiz laughs and pats his shoulder, pushing him on his way. ”Go on, I'm sure I've already taken too much of your time. It was good meeting, Prompto.”

”You too!”

Prompto more or less skips out of the building, taking one last look at the chocobos before skidding to a halt next to the car. The Amicitias all look at him with near-identical expressions, clearly asking him to elaborate. ”He offered me a job here!” Prompto chirps.

”Yeah?” Gladio asks, clearly surprised. ”Shit, that sounds awesome. A summer job, right?”

”Yeah, for the next summer, if I'm still interested.” He _is_ interested; Prompto can honestly say he can't imagine a better, more amazing summer than spending one with chocobos.

”Sounds like you got a lot to think about,” Clarus muses with a smile. ”It's about time we got going, though.”

The drive home is long and tiring, Prompto and Iris dozing off in the backseats as evening begins to fall around them. When they arrive in Insomnia, it's late enough that Prompto accepts the offered guest room without any resistance, too exhausted to even consider dragging himself home. He falls asleep in an unfamiliar room, all alone for the first time in two weeks, but there's a picture of his mom on the nightstand and a promise of more chocobos next to it. He dreams of a blonde woman and equally golden birds.


End file.
